22 December 2013

Should Granny Herald stick to her knitting?

The editor of the Herald on Sunday has praised the editor of sister-ship NZ Herald (aka 'Granny') for calling on the Mayor, Len Brown, to resign. Granny on Sunday described this as 'gutsy journalism.' While Mr Brown certainly has reason to reconsider his position, let me explain why the Herald's outburst was not 'gutsy journalism.'
1. It was not journalism. It was political intervention.
2. It was not gutsy. It was climbing aboard a popular moral bandwagon.
It is perfectly normal for editors to interpret current events and to publish reasoned opinions on them.  It is the job of journalists to expose wrongdoing by those in public office.
But demanding a political scalp is a step too far. The Herald's call for the elected Mayor to resign is no more acceptable than their calling for us to vote National … or Labour or Green or whoever.
Please, Granny, stick to the knitting.

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